How Lucifer Is Going To Be Different From The Comic Books

DC Comics already has an impressive lineup of TV shows based on their superheroes, but their more adult-leaning Vertigo imprint is also getting attention on the small screen. iZombie debuted on The CW earlier this year, and the 2015-2016 TV season will bring Lucifer, based on the eponymous Lord of Hell who spun out of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. However, while the DC superhero series typically follow their source material closely, expect Lucifer to take several creative liberties with the main character.

The Lucifer that viewers will see next year on Fox will be more of a procedural when compared to the comic book series written by Mike Caret from 2000-2006. That’s why, in an interview with HitFix, actor D.B. Woodside (who plays the archangel Amenadiel) suggested not to expect a direct retelling of the comic book. Woodside said:

If you’re coming to Lucifer to see the comic book, you are not going to see it. Let it go.

Executive producer Len Wiseman elaborated on this loose adaptation by explaining that audiences are getting “a much more grounded version of Lucifer” since the show is focused on his life on Earth, where he decides to live after getting bored with his duties in Hell. So rather than seeing Lucifer journey through various realms and worlds like in the comics, he will mostly be staying in Los Angeles to help the LAPD track down criminals. This likely means that Lucifer also won’t have any connection to the book that the character debuted in, especially given that a Sandman movie is currently in development that will star Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the Lord of Dreams Morpheus.

As the article notes, this shift in tone makes sense, given budget limitations and content guidelines from the FCC. The latter is especially a concern, given that this series revolves around Satan himself, which is no doubt disconcerting to certain viewers. However, much like the short-lived NBC series Constantine, it looks like we will see a fair amount of mysticism at work through Lucifer, Amenadiel (who will attempt to bring Lucifer back to Hell) and other characters. Actress Lauren German, who plays Lucifer Morningstar's detective partner Chloe Dance, also promised that the show will have a lot of dark humor, so don’t expect Lucifer to be an entirely serious affair.

If you haven’t already, take a look at the trailer for the Lucifer pilot to get a sense of what the series will offer.